What Does OTR Trucking Mean?

Recently, we've been receiving a lot of questions about what exactly OTR trucking is.

OTR trucking is just one of many different types of truck driving jobs that a driver can have throughout his or her career.

It's an especially valuable type of truck driving job to have in the early stages of a truck driving career. This blog will define exactly what it means to be an OTR truck driver, and explain why it's vital to do to have a successful, long-lasting career in the trucking industry.

The Meaning of OTR Trucking

OTR or "Over the Road" trucking is a type of truck driving job that doesn't have a designated route. OTR truck drivers typically spend two to three weeks on the road at a time, picking up and dropping off loads to any destination they get assigned to. It's different than a local or dedicated trucking job because it requires you to go anywhere and everywhere a company runs, rather than just run the same route over and over again.

Although to some it may seem that a dedicated or local truck driving job is more ideal than an OTR trucking job, an OTR trucking job will do a lot of good things for inexperienced truckers in terms of preparing for a life on the road.

Why OTR Trucking Is Important

A trucker's first few years on the road, just like any other career, are the most important for setting themselves up to have a successful, long term future as a driver. The first year of OTR trucking will give new truck drivers a much needed experience of what life is like on the road while getting a lot of miles under their belt.

Because an OTR truck driver can go anywhere, they see all different kinds of road conditions and have to plan for long trips that could stretch across the entire country. On top of that, they have to deal with all different types of shippers, receivers, and loading docks. The life of an OTR truck driver is challenging at times, and it's definitely not easy to be one, but it's necessary to do in the beginning of your career in order to be a successful truck driver.

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You Need Experience to Get a Dedicated Job

Another thing to keep in mind is that most of the time, in order to get a dedicated or local truck driving job, a driver needs to have experience; and, the easiest way for an inexperienced truck driver to get the experience needed is by running an OTR trucking job, where they'll be able to get a lot of miles on their treads while experiencing what life is like on the road in all corners of the country.

Become an OTR Truck Driver Today

Driver Solutions can help you get the CDL training you need to become a truck driver. Start your career now and you could be on the road making up to $50,000 in just the first year! Just take a few moments to complete our online driver application now.